Brain Death in Practice — A Retrospective View

Abstract

In my country, Sweden, the concept of ‘brain death’ was not accepted formally by the law until 1988, after a long and partly heated debate, even an agitated dispute within the medical community itself. Now, after more than 10 years, the debate still has a tendency to flourish occasionally, and, interstingly, opinions thus expressed by the lay public have gradually influenced both the legislative process and the practice, for example the introduction of a voluntary Donor Card system.